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On this page is a selection of documents that are both informative and useful. The
list will be expanded over time. If you know of a particular document that would be
useful to others, then please send details of it to
c@isitfair.co.uk

Get Your Own Back

Fed up with being bossed around by your council? Want to be mischievous and cause
them some problems? Well you can, and it's perfectly legal.
Download here...

Housing Benefit & Council Tax Benefit 2009

Subsidy arrangements for 2009/10. Details of the administration subsidy distribution.
Issued by the DWP it shows that the total cost of subsidy is £528.3 million pounds
which is a real terms 5% reduction on the previous year.
Download here...

Magistrates Courts Fees 2009

Liability Orders Fees

FOI request; The Magistrates Court fixed fee for an application for a Liability
Order for Council Tax arrears is currently £3 and that fee is set by Statutory Instrument.
Nevertheless, councils are seeking costs orders from Magistrates Courts for
Liability Orders substantially in excess of the £3 statutory fee.
FOI reply; The fee for a Liability Order is £3 which is what we charge. The
rest of the money is made up of reasonable costs as stated in the (Council Tax (Administration
and Enforcement) Regs 1992). All the Sussex local authorities set the same rate
although some may have a different split between the Summonses and Liability Order
costs. We write to the Clerk of the Justices to get her ok before they are changed.
Please find enclosed a breakdown of the costs as applied by Mid Sussex District Council.
Download here...

Control Shift Returning Power to Local Communities

Policy green paper by the Conservative party issued February 2009.
Conservatives want to build a stronger, safer society where opportunity and power
are spread much more widely and fairly. We believe communities are strongest
when everyone has a free and fair say in the decisions that affect them. From
local council services and planning decisions, to local policing priorities, people
should have as much power and choice as possible.
This Green Paper outlines our new programme of political decentralisation to revitalise
democracy and strengthen community life; a five-pillar strategy to shift power away
from the central state and firmly back to local people.
Download here...

Fairer, Simpler, Greener and Reducing the Burden

Latest policy papers by the Liberal Democrat party issued 2007.

Fairer, Simpler, Greener
We aim to reform the tax system to make it:Fairer: progressive in relation to income and wealthSimpler: for individuals and companies: fewer rates and reliefs, more transparentGreener: taxing environmental pollution and resource depletion and giving
bigger incentives to sustainabilityMore Local: greater freedom for democratic local government to raise (and spend)
revenueMore Efficient: recognising the importance of incentives to work and save;
and growing global competition
Download here...

Reducing the Burden
Liberal Democrats are committed to making the tax system:Fairer - with tax cuts for those on lower incomes paid for by removing loopholes
exploited by the rich.Simpler and easier to understand - especially for pensioners and small businesses.More decentralised – so that there is a clearer link between local services and local
accountability.Greener – giving incentives for responsible use of resources.
Download here...

Council Tax Benefit

Local council leaflet that gives details about eligibility and how to claim.
Download here...

VOA Measuring Guide for Council Tax Purposes

The original VOA instructions that explain how a property should be measured
for Council Tax purposes. This guide will be used by all inspectors when revaluation
and rebanding is imposed on England. At present, this exercise is scheduled for
the next term of Parliament, assuming that the present Government is returned to
power.
Download here...

The Cost of Councillors

Have you ever wondered how much your Councillors cost you? This analysis
gives a good indication of the costs, but it is not exhaustive. All figures
are from public records.
Download here...